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woensdag 8 augustus 2012

The mooted ABC Hulk series from Guillermo del Toro and David Eick is still very much happening, just as soon as a certain writer has cleared their schedule…

Unsurprisingly, soon after the massive box office success of Joss Whedon’s The Avengers came news that ABC’s proposed live-action Hulk series was pressing ahead to pilot stage. Little’s been heard since, and now we know what’s keeping them hanging around: a mystery writer.

Led by more-pies-than-fingers director Guillermo del Toro and Battlestar Galactica’s David Eick, the new take on Hulk is waiting for a particular writer to clear their schedule before a new draft of the script is produced.

Del Toro told Collider, “I had one meeting with Marvel after Avengers and we had a very, very good chat. We have a writer that we want to bring on board, a very, very concrete name. I can’t reveal it, but we want to wait for that writer. It’s a writer who is otherwise engaged. So right now we are in a holding pattern until that writer becomes free. Then we’re going to do a new draft of the script.”

What's Jennifer Lopez's reputation worth? About $20 million, according to a lawsuit filed Friday by the singer/actress and former "American Idol" judge.

Lopez filed suit against her former driver and head of security, Hakob Manoukian, in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, saying that he tried to blackmail her by threatening to reveal damaging information he'd obtained about her during his time of employment with Lopez.

According to the suit, Manoukian worked for Lopez for about a month before quitting due to a dispute with her management team. Shortly thereafter, in Oct. 2011, he engaged in "blackmail, extortion, and related acts."

The suit is actually a counterclaim made against a complaint filed by Manoukian. In that suit he says that he was forced to resign from his position after he was denied "production pay" that he says he was due. He was then demoted to Lopez's Los Angeles driver when he complained about the lost pay and subjected to humiliating treatment by Lopez's manager, Benny Medina.

Lopez's suit claims that, on Oct. 3, 2011, Manoukian's then-attorney "made written and oral demands that unless Manoukian was paid $2.8M, he would disclose sensitive and personal information that he had allegedly heard while driving Ms. Lopez."

The suit goes on to note that the demands were "in total disregard of Manoukian's signed confidentiality agreement" barring Manoukian from making negative disclosures about his boss.

Alleging extortion, attempted extortion, breach of oral contract and breach of written contract among other infractions, the suit is asking for damages "in no event less than $20,000,000."

Big Brother fans will not be able to vote on Facebook in the future, it has been reported.

According to Broadcast, Channel 5 has permanently suspended the service on the social networking site.

Facebook voting will not be available for next Monday's Big Brother final or the entire Celebrity Big Brother run which launches next Wednesday.

Richard Desmond's network faced criticism after complaints to Ofcom suggested that viewers were unable to access the Big Brother Facebook page for the 2011 final, but the broadcaster was cleared of any wrongdoing in March.

However, Channel 5 accepted that "exceptionally high traffic" meant that a few fans may have struggled to cast their votes after purchasing their credits.

The reality show became the first UK television programme to use Facebook Credits as a voting mechanic.

Big Brother's latest classic series concludes on Monday, August 13, with Celebrity Big Brother running from Wednesday, August 15 for 23 days.

Fox's paid television unit promoted Sharon Tal Yguado to executive vice president of scripted programming and original development, the News Corporation division announced Tuesday.

Tal Yguado scouts for talent in Los Angeles, where she is based, and develops and produces hour-long scripted dramas for broadcast to Fox International's 250 channels worldwide.

She and her team were responsible for the original script and international rights for the series "The Walking Dead."

Tal Yguado previously served as a senior vice president of scripted programming, where she oversaw the expansion of the channel's scripted content, acquiring both local and global talent.

The nine-year company veteran is currently leading development on a number of scripted TV projects, Fox said in a statement.

“Sharon has been instrumental in defining FIC’s global programming strategy and securing strong content for all our channels," Hernan Lopez, president and CEO of Fox International, said in a statement. “As FIC pushes into original development, I am confident that her expert eye and keen sense for breakthrough drama will yield some very exciting projects in the near future,”

Before moving to L.A., Tal Yguado headed the programming launch plans of more than 20 entertainment channels across Asia, the Middle East and Europe. She also led the channel's new media production arms, FOXBytes, producing more than 200 hours of digital content.

Fired "Community" creator Dan Harmon is sounding a bit like Charlie Sheen -- saying almost exactly what the actor did after his firing from "Two and a Half Men."

"I'd have fired my ass, too," Sheen told Jay Leno in one of his many candid moments after his exit from his show. Harmon used almost exactly the same phrasing in an interview with Santa Monica-based radio station KCRW's podcast "The Business" released Monday.

“I would have fired me too, because it’s a business,” he said.

Harmon, like Sheen, hasn't struggled to find work. The writer-producer is developing shows for CBS and Fox, and said that after his firing by Sony Pictures Television, which produces "Community," all the networks and basic cable "came a-calling."

Asked on the podcast about rumors that he is difficult to work with, Harmon said his own self-critical remarks helped fuel that impression.

"I think I started them," he said. “I think that I’m a self-effacing, self-destructive person, and I think that every speech I made to my own crew and to the people above me was, ‘Sorry, I’m not good at this.' Because I'm from Wisconsin."

He said his critics "just went with my own words."

Harmon was replaced as showrunner of NBC's "Community" after three seasons as the show was moved to a Friday timeslot for season 4.

Harmon said that, although his show was always on budget, he understood why Sony fired him.

The business plan, he believes, is to make enough episodes of the show for it to be syndicated.

"NBC was moving the show to Friday at 8:30 and giving it a 13-episode order, which is them saying, 'We're going to get this thing to 88 episodes so that we can all make some money... and then we're going to take it off the air. We're going to smother it with a pillow very quietly."

"Sony's job," he continued, "is to take that shot clock and do whatever they can with it. They're not going to hand the ball to the guy that spent three years losing in the ratings race and not turning a script over until I felt it was finished."

He added that "you're allowed to be a perfectionist" on TV if your ratings are high -- but aren't given that luxury if your ratings are low.

See? It is possible for a network and a carrier to reach a deal that doesn't involve any kind of public feud.

Time Warner Cable and Fox News have reached a new long-term affiliation agreement in which Fox News will receive an increase in the fees Time Warner pays to carry the highest-rated cable news network.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Los Angeles Times, which first reported it, said Fox's raise will bring it more than $1 per subscriber in the first year of the deal, with increases in the years that follow. The jump brings Fox News up to the level of entertainment channels like Time Warner's TNT, the Times said.

Negotiations lasted months, but didn't break into headlines like those between Viacom and DirecTV last month, or the ongoing feud between Dish Networks and AMC.

After Viacom networks went dark on DirecTV last month, the two launched PR campaigns against one another that sometimes included both companies running banner ads across viewers' screens at the same time. The two sides came to an agreement after two weeks.

Dish, meanwhile, has dropped AMC Networks, saying its ratings are too low to justify higher payments. The network disputes that, pointing, for one example, to the excellent ratings for "The Walking Dead."

Among the ways AMC has jabbed Dish: By streaming the season 5 premiere of "Breaking Bad" for Dish customers. (Among the episode titles for the show is "A No-Rough-Stuff Type of Deal," a helpful phrase we stole for the headline of this story. Thanks.)

2 Shoes have revealed to Digital Spy that they are keen to take part in the next series of I'm A Celebrity and Celebrity Big Brother.

The pair insisted that they are "up for a laugh" and would be "TV gold" on either reality show.

Lucy Texeira said: "We're up for anything. We're up for a laugh. We'd like to do Big Brother, I'm A Celeb would be hilarious.

"I just think we'd be TV gold. We're scared of everything."

She added: "We're just putting it out there, putting the feelers out. If anyone wants to approach the Shoes, call us, emoshe."

Asked which series they'd prefer to take part in, the singer said: "Jungle would be hilar. I think we'd be fine. We've got each other you see, we'd have to be one contestant - we couldn't be separated. It's like Jedward."

2 Shoes recently revealed that they would like to perform their new single 'Turn Me On (Turn Me Out)' on the next series of The X Factor.

A Labour MP has called on Red or Black? presenters Ant & Dec to speak out against Wonga, after the controversial lending service signed up to sponsor the ITV1 show.

Wonga, which offers instant short-term loans of up to £1,000 with APRs of sometimes more than 4,000%, has agreed to sponsor the primetime entertainment programme when it returns to ITV1 this year. The deal is thought to be worth up to £1m.

However, Stella Creasy MP wants to see tougher regulation for services such as Wonga, which she has branded "legal loan sharks".

Wonga, which has also been criticised by the Office of Fair Trading over its debt collection methods, will use the sponsorship of Simon Cowell's Red or Black? to promote its offer of "straight talking money".

But Creasy tweeted show presenters Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly today, saying: "Hey @antanddec can I persuade you not 2 promote legal loan sharks by saying no 2 Wonga sponsoring red or black?"

She also urged her more than 17,000 followers to email the TV stars' agent and send a message that "Wonga is wronga until there's caps on the cost of credit".

In a statement, a spokesperson for Ant & Dec said: "Ant & Dec are the presenters of Red or Black?. As presenters, the sponsorship of the series has nothing to do with them. They are not executive producers of Red or Black?."

Wonga said that its sponsorship of Red or Black? represents a "great way" for the firm to raise awareness of its offer of "straight talking money".

Darryl Bowman, the head of marketing at Wonga.com, said: "We're pleased to be supporting such a big show which, like our service, has been a hit with a mainstream audience from the beginning.

"We're excited about bringing our 'straight talking' take to Saturday nights. This sponsorship will be another great way for us to continue raising awareness of our brand and services."

An ITV spokeswoman added: "Wonga is a well known brand and the sponsorship of Red or Black? is fully compliant with Ofcom regulations."

The exact value of Wonga's sponsorship deal across broadcast, online and mobile is not known, but pizza company Domino's paid around £1m to sponsor last year's series of Red or Black?.

Wonga is no stranger to controversy with its advertising. The Football League recently ended a deal involving the lending service sponsoring its websites after a protest campaign from users.

The Advertising Standards Authority also previously considered 82 complaints about targeted marketing campaigns by the company, but opted to pursue no further action.

Red or Black? will return this year with a revamped format following complaints by the gambling commission that the chance-orientated gameshow encouraged gambling.

Instead of a £1m nightly jackpot won via a giant roulette wheel, the programme will now offer a £500,000 prize with contestants expected to use their "skill and judgement" to scoop the cash.

President Obama has enlisted a growing army of celebrity supporters from the film, television and music arenas this election season, so it was only a matter of time before he commanded a squad of sports stars to help with his campaign efforts.

Enter a lineup of basketball luminaries – Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Kyrie Irving, Carmelo Anthony and Sheryl Swoopes – who have thrown in to shoot hoops with a pair of lucky civilians at an upcoming “Obama Classic” event.

The price of entry to the sporty affair -- date and other special guests TBA -- is, like other celebrity-oriented events Obama's team has organized in recent months, a donation of $3 or more to the campaign.

The sweepstakes winner and guest will also have the chance to hobnob with Obama and Jordan “over dinner,” according to a promotional email circulated Tuesday by campaign aide Marlon Marshall, who opened his message by saying he’s “so jealous” of the lucky winner, “I can barely write the rest of this email.”

But Marshall managed to collect himself enough to entice would-be donors: “Hit the court with Patrick Ewing and Melo?” Trade stories with the president? This is the kind of stuff your kids will tell their kids, and no one will believe it until you show them a photo,” he wrote.

The president’s strategists are pulling out all the stops in the final three months before the election, and their unabashed use of the celebrity angle stems in part, no doubt, from practical considerations. Stars are magnets for money and attention, and presumptive Republican candidate Mitt Romney is doing quite well on the fund-raising front.

According to reports released Monday, Romney and his allies at the Republican National Committee raised more than $101 million in the month of July, while Obama and the Democratic National Committee pulled in $75 million.

"Arrested Development" fans, rejoice -- the Bluth family is one step closer to returning to a screen near you.

The series began production on its upcoming fourth season on Tuesday, a spokeswoman for Netflix -- which will air the season -- told TheWrap.

Series star Jason Bateman tweeted a photo from the "AD" set late Tuesday morning, writing, "First day. Away we go..."

Bateman whetted fans' appetites in July, tweeting that filming would begin in the coming weeks. Ron Howard, who produces and narrates the series, also stoked enthusiasm last month by tweeting a photo from the writers' room and noting, "Arrested Development for Netflix, IT'S ALIVE."

The cult favorite, which ran on Fox for three seasons between 2003 and 2006, is being resuscitated for a 10-episode fourth season, which will all become available on Netflix at the same time next year.

An "Arrested Development" movie will film after the new season is wrapped. The show's creator, Mitch Hurwitz, said earlier this year that he'd be open to a fifth and sixth season of the series after the movie is complete.

The Olympics ended a streak of beating out the 2008 games in Beijing, while ABC's "Bachelor Pad" slid to a series low Monday, according to preliminary numbers.

NBC took first place in the advertiser-friendly 18-49 demographic and total viewers with an 8.1 rating/22 share and 26 million. Even so, the Olympics -- which had been consistently outperforming the 2008 games night by night -- were down 9 percent from the equivalent night in 2008. The games also slipped 24 percent from last Monday to hit the lowest Olympics rating so far this summer.

Fox, which ran repeats Monday night, drew a distant second place in ratings and third in total viewers with a 1.1/3 and 2.7 million. CBS, which also ran repeats, came in third in ratings and second in total viewers with a 1.0/3 and 3.6 million.

ABC took fourth place in ratings and third in total viewers with a 0.9/2 and 2.8 million. The network dropped across the board, starting with "Bachelor Pad" from 8 to 10 p.m., which slid 9 percent to a series low of 1.0/3 and 3.3 million. "The Glass House" at 10 ran even with last week to match its own low of 0.6/2 and 1.6 million total viewers.